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Priests Starve Cats at St. James Church

March 19, 2012 | Cats / TNR / Take Action

Church Groundskeeper Threatens Poisoning as Next Step

Mayor's Alliance for NYC's Animals

New York, NY "“ Monday, March 19, 2012 "“ The small colony of eight feral cats has not been fed for almost two weeks at historic St. James Church in lower Manhattan. Father Lino Gonsalves and Father Walter Tonelotto have locked out caretakers there in an effort to starve the cats off church property. The priests refuse to meet with the Mayor's Alliance for NYC's Animals to discuss any plan for cat care, though caretakers are willing to address any concerns the church may have for security or hygiene. Where will the cats be welcomed if even a church is throwing them out?

Those who wish to comment directly to St. James Church officials can e-mail Father Lino Gonsalves at sjc@stjosephnyc.org. (The Archdiocese of New York and the Vatican will be copied on your e-mail.) You may also call Father Lino Gonsalves of St. James Church at (212) 267-8376 or Joseph Zwilling, Communications Director for the Archdiocese of New York, at (212) 371-1011 x2997.

Historic Manhattan church in catfight over feral colony by Amy Sacks and Lisa L. Colangelo, New York Daily NewsSaturday, March 17, 2012

The cats are all neutered and vaccinated, following the guidelines of Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR), the only proven effective and humane method for controlling feral cat populations. When contacted for comment by the New York Daily News, Father Gonsalves derided, "The cats will not be poisoned, but we don't want the people to feed them on church property." Since the church owns all property in the vicinity, does the Father imagine that starving them out is somehow less cruel? Eradication of the cats is clearly the church's goal, if not by poison as once declared by the groundskeeper, then by starvation. Until now, St. James' feral colony was a model TNR project for which the church could be credited with humane leadership by example. This recent public banishment of the cats sends a very cruel signal to others facing the decision of how to approach feral cat management. Read more...

Comments

I agree with all comments thus far. Sherry hits the nail on the head; the cats simply can't afford the Catholic Church. Their policies, at best, are/have always been, do as I say, not as I do. And to never question anything. These so called "men of god", "priests" seem to abide by their own laws with little concern for those truly in need. It is outrageous & disgusting, shame on them all!

I can't believe that someone supposedly of God could treat any living creature inhumanely. It wouldn't kill you to show a lil mercy and feed the lil cats. After all, they are one of God's creations. They are a living breathing creature with feelings just like you or I. They can't possibly be hurting anything by being there.

What hypocrites!!! They live off the donations of parisioners and they refuse to help God's creatures. Both priests should be removed. Let's start a campaign to rid the city of such heartless men. They have no business taking the handouts of the church while they starve living creatures. They MUST go!!

To the priest at St James church this is disgusting shame on you but I am not surprised. Priests have abused children and stolen millions from parishes What about the so called blessing of the animals on October 2? I suppose that is hypocritical . There are shelters that would take the cats . Since you want to starve the cats to deadth, why don't you starve for lent ?

Find their Facebook page & let the parishioners know what their church does. Also, use the email address provided at the end of the article and give the cats A VOICE. Please, venting here is not directed at them. They don't read your posts here at Friends of Animals. If you want to save these cats & expose these sick people make it count & tell them.

All in the name of religion. Animal sacrifices are in part the biggest culprit of why animal abuse is rampid worldwide. We have animal sacrifices in the forms of: slaughterhouses,kosher killing,vivisection,animal experimentations,hunting,fishing,trapping,fur farms where animals are anally eloctrocuted or drowned,factory farms where animals are castrated,tail and ear docked, teeth pulled all without pain meds or anesthesia,animal sports worldwide: bullfighting,rooster fighting,dog fighting,canadian seal hunt where 10's of thousands of baby harp seals are clubbed to death and often skinned alive while their wailing mothers sit on the ice helpless,circuses that use animals,the list of horrors of animal sacrifices goes on and on and on. I have never ever heard of a rabbi or preacher or any other clergy speak against the atrocities invoked upon the animal kingdom, Why? perhaps it would put a chinck in the armor of the so called infallible word of God and the 100% validity of the bible. We have annual animal sacrificed in India where thousands of animals are unmercifully murdered in the name of their religions. Animal sacrifices are purely demonic by which the devil and his unclean angels polluted the fertile minds of those who ordained these atrocities against the animals. God has given every human being the attributes of : love,compassion,mercy,and a conscience by which were taken over by the power of seducing spirits of satan that follow the teachings of animal sacrifices as an atonement and forgiveness of sins. Thousands upon thousands of cattle,lambs,goats,birds were slaughtered viciously as the blood sacrifice for the peoples sins. What a blood thirsty demon that ordained the commission of untold numbers of animals that died a violent and painful death. People need to wake up and speak against these atrocities especially the so called religious leaders. God is Love and compassion and mercy by which we should as human beings live the life as stewards of the animals. We should live our lives with a clear conscience with peace and harmony between humans and animals. We need to speak up against the slaughterhouse religions of the world that advocate the death warrants of animal sacrifices that started in the bible that we have in our world today. If we are ever to evolve as human beings we must first become humane beings. We must be the voice for the voiceless. We must not only help and protect each fellow human but also our animal brethen as well.